Moscow court seeks arrest of fled Sochi construction magnate in absentia

A Moscow court has issued an arrest warrant for businessman Akhmed Bilalov, the former vice president of the Russian Olympic Committee, on fraud charges linked to the construction of facilities for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Bilalov oversaw several major Olympic construction projects in Sochi until 2013, when he was dismissed from all his positions following sharp public criticism by Russian President Vladimir Putin over delays and cost overruns, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Bilalov, a native of Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, left the country more than 12 years ago. In 2013, he and his brother, Magomed Bilalov, were placed on Russia’s wanted list after fleeing to Germany. Magomed is a shareholder and chairman of the board of the National Bank for Business Development and served as deputy chairman of the board of a major Olympic construction contractor.

The Krasnaya Polyana contractor, responsible for building several key Olympic venues in Sochi — including the Russkie Gorki ski jump complex — faced major setbacks. Construction fell significantly behind schedule, while projected costs reportedly exceeded initial estimates by more than four times, leading to the termination of the contract in 2012.

In October 2019, Akhmed Bilalov was detained at his home in Florida on immigration violations but was released shortly afterwards on bail.

Russian investigators believe Bilalov may still be in the United States. They have asked Moscow’s Tverskoy Court to authorise his arrest in absentia for a period of two months, effective from the moment of his detention, or to seek his extradition to Russia.

By Nazrin Sadigova